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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. present — there
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. stock — shares
  6. stock — goods
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. bear — the animal
  9. game — wild animals
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. bear — the animal
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. content — happy
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. game — a match
  16. present — the time now
  17. plane — a tool
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. present — a gift
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. content — the amount
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. chip — to eat

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com